Our beach campus is located in the enchanting area of Puerto Viejo, Limon which is on the tropical, verdant Atlantic coast. This beautiful beach town is a wonderful blend of Costa Rican, Afro-caribean, indigenous and international peoples and cultures. However, the highlight of Puerto Viejo is the amazing natural wonders that await you. There are miles of pristine beaches and coral reefs to explore along with the exotic flora and fauna you will find in the Gondoca-Manzanillo wildlife refuge.
Classes and accomodations are held in a brand new hotel facility which is just a short bike ride or walk into the seaside village of Puerto Viejo. The town itself has lots of great restaurants with cuisines from all over the world, an outdoor movie theater, wonderful art shops, tempting cafes, bakeries and ice-cream parlors, internet cafes, clothing and food stores and an amazing night life. There is always live music in one of the local eateries and pubs and you can always dance at Johnny's Place, with its nightly bonfire, candle lit tables on the beach right next to the coral reef under the summer moon. You can't ask for a better ambiance.
ACTIVITIES
Tours can be taken to go swimming with the dolphins, scuba-diving, snorkeling in the crystal clear coral reefs and sea. You can choose to go river-kayaking in the mangroves and watch many different kinds of birds and wild life. Puerto Viejo has world re-known surfing and lessons are available. The enormous leather-back turtle nests in the Gandoca-Manzillo reserve where you can also see exotic bird life, Howler monkeys and it is said that there are even manatees in the lagoon. There are relaxing yoga classes and massages available and if you want more strenuous activity then you can try a pilates class. A rare glimpse into the lives and culture of the indigenous people of the Talamanca mountains can be had by visits to the their nearby villages. Rent a bike, a motorbike or an ATV and check out the 14 kilometer stretch of beaches between Puerto Viejo and take lazily walks on the gorgeous sands of the Gandoca-Manzanillo reserve. Tours to a chocolate farm, botanical gardens and zip lines are all just minutes away.
VOLUNTEERING
Many volunteering opportunities are available in Puerto Viejo. You can help the kids in an art center or school, protect the leatherback turtles, work with the women entrepreneurs in the area and aid the indigenous peoples that live in the surroundings.there are many other volunteer opportunities in the area. Information upon request.
Classes
Classes are held from Monday to Friday from 9 am to 1 pm following the same communicative methodology and philosophy as the Heredia campus. (See methodology).
Getting there.
Iped offers several options to get to the beach campus. For any of these options please contact us so we can make arrangements for you.
1) If you choose to have classes at the Heredia campus first we can help you make arrangements to go to the beach campus with other students. There are direct buses that go to Puerto Viejo at a relatively low cost.
2) Taxi options from Santa Maria Airport are available as well as car rentals. If you decide to rent a car we can make arrangements for you.
3) Stop over in Heredia. You can arrive on Saturday and spend the night at a homestay, a local hotel or a student residency. We will make arrangements for you whatever your decision is.
4) Take advantage of our 2 week program discount that combines city and beach. Look for dates for this program.
DATES
Starting dates for this program at the beach will be held every other Monday from May to August. For other dates please contact us.
May 26th
June 9th
June 23rd
July 7th
July 21st
August 4th
August 18th
